The first performance of youth socially engaged plays emerged from the European Youth Engagement Network 2.0 – EYE.net 2.0 was implemented within the Youth Festival Maribor. The ‘Novi Sad – European Capital of Culture’ Foundation, as the organiser, and partners from six countries were guests in Maribor last week, from 15 until 21 November.
Despite the unpredictable situation caused by the pandemic, the first EYE.net 2.0 festival in Slovenia has been successfully implemented. The three organisations from Slovenia, Maribor Youth Culture Centre, Recreation Centre Ptuj and Maribor Fine Artists Society, organised performances in eight secondary schools, with the focus on secondary technical schools.
Sixteen plays with six productions from six countries: Italy, France, Lithuania, Serbia, Greece and Slovenia, were performed. Since the partners from Germany and the Czech Republic were absent, the groups from Greece and France performed their plays instead. A total of 36 foreign guests attended the performance, while around 840 young people watched the plays within the regular curriculum, in secondary schools in Maribor and Ptuj.
The aim of the youth network is to encourage informing young people about basic European values, as well as building capacity for their active involvement in creating and shaping the future image of Europe.
It is envisaged to approach the discussion on the sociopolitical picture of future Europe within the production of eight interactive youth performances performed by pupils and students, focused on socially engaged topics (fake news, economy, ecology, solidarity, anti-fascism, Euroscepticism).
In addition to the ‘Drž’ ne daj’ troupe from Novi Sad, the organisations participating in the project are: ‘Moment’ Arts and Culture Association (Maribor, Slovenia), ‘Maribor’ Youth Culture Centre (Maribor, Slovenia), ‘Liceulice’ (Belgrade, Serbia), ‘Montažstroj (Zagreb, Croatia), Associazione Culturale Capotrave Kilowatt (Sansepolcro, Italy), Multicultural City (Berlin, Germany), Théâtre du Pélican (Clermont-Ferrand, France), Le Théâtre du Grand Rond ( Toulouse, France), Center interesnih dejavnosti Ptuj (Ptuj, Slovenia), Polyplanity (Athens, Greece), Divadlo v Dlouhé (Prague, Czech Republic), Pazaislis Music Festival (Kaunas, Lithuania), Kaunas 2022 (Kaunas, Lithuania).
The schools participating in the project: The Secondary School of Civil Engineering and Grammar School, Secondary School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Secondary School of Wood Processing and Forestry, Secondary School of Design and Media Maribor and Secondary School of Economics, Tourism and Agriculture, Secondary School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Grammar and Mechanical School of Ptuj.
In the video, you can hear the online presentation of individual programme participants, including the Novi Sad troupe ‘Drž’ ne daj’.
EYE.net 2.0 was supported within the ‘Europe for Citizens – Networks of Towns’ and will be part of the programme of the two European Capitals of Culture – Novi Sad 2022 and Kaunas 2022.
The performances will be given in each of the seven partner countries in the form of a travelling festival during 2022.
Young people will have an opportunity to see the plays within the Future of Europe programme arch from 4 until 8 April.
Photo: Mateja Lapuh, Tina Maroh
